


There and Back Again Part 4

by Carisa_Ironfell



Series: There and Back Again [4]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Aunty Bilbo, Battle of Five Armies - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bilbo is So Done, Fili and Kili are still scheming, Gen, Kili can't lie either, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, THERE'S PROGRESS, Thorin continues to be awkward, Thorin is still an idiot, but it's still gonna be a while, still a slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21649087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carisa_Ironfell/pseuds/Carisa_Ironfell
Summary: The night before reaching Erebor, Thorin has something to say.Kili has bad timing, and Fili is not pleased.
Relationships: eventual Thorin Oakenshield/Bilbo Baggins
Series: There and Back Again [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559959
Comments: 4
Kudos: 105





	There and Back Again Part 4

**Author's Note:**

> Still not mine! :D My sister wrote this series, and I'm just posting it on my account for her. (I'm sorry if the disclaimer is tedious, but I don't want to claim that it's mine, because it isn't and I love my sister too much to try and steal it.) :) Thank you for reading, and we hope you enjoy!!

The first sight of Lonely Mountain took Bilbo’s breath away. They had traveled through plenty of mountains to get here, but this one held a special place in Bilbo’s heart. He actually leaned forward in his saddle, drinking in the sight of the Mountain.

Beside him, Thorin beamed. “There it is,” he breathed. “Home.”

There was so much emotion in that one word, Bilbo almost couldn’t encompass it. He wouldn’t have been able to before going on the quest in the first place. He couldn’t help smiling at Thorin, who thankfully didn’t notice.

The past weeks had been difficult for Bilbo. His feelings for Thorin kept growing, no matter how often he told them nothing could ever happen. Thorin couldn’t possibly return those feelings. There was no future for them if he returned to the Shire. He had to return to the Shire or Bag End would end up with the Sackville-Bagginses. Thorin had to continue his royal line.

Nothing made a difference to his heart.

On the other hand, every moment he spent with Thorin was a new treasure, even if nothing important happened. Even a meaningless conversation about robins would live on in his memory because of Thorin’s smile.

They got moving again and Bilbo was grateful the trail was only wide enough for one. Riding beside Thorin, wrestling with his wayward emotions, would put more strain on him than Bilbo wanted to deal with right now.

At least he was making this trip more smoothly than last time. No goblins had bothered them, they had the same ponies they’d started with, and no one had been stung, thrown in a dungeon, or stuffed in a barrel. Bilbo wasn’t even at risk of getting a cold since Thorin consistently produced a heavy fur cape from his bag every night and dropped it on him.

He wasn’t sure why. He’d concocted all kinds of reasons, late at night, but he couldn’t come up with one that wasn’t wishful thinking. Of course, it wasn’t even really necessary, since the nights weren’t particularly cold.

“We’ll have to camp one more night before reaching home,” Thorin called over his shoulder. “Kili, make sure you brush the ponies thoroughly when we stop.”

“We will,” Kili called back. Bilbo wondered if the brothers were going to make it a two-person job and leave him with Thorin again.

The trail widened again, and Bilbo moved up to Thorin’s side, ready to ask him about some curious holes on the banks of the little creek beside them.

As expected, Fili went with his brother like they were connected by a string, leaving Bilbo with Thorin. Bilbo set about making dinner.

“Bilbo, you should know, there’s some talk in Erebor,” Thorin said, the words leaving him reluctantly.

Bilbo frowned at him, shoving down alarm. Were the dwarves angry that Thorin had invited the burglar into their kingdom? Bilbo had barely stolen anything, but that might not stop the dwarves who didn’t know him from distrusting him.

“I don’t remember this, but they tell me I spoke in the delirium of my wounds,” Thorin continued. He scowled at the ground for a long moment. “I called out for you or so Balin tells me. Some rumors began circulating through the Mountain and now my people think I have… intentions toward you. I thought you should know so that you won’t be offended if you hear about this.” He trailed off and tapped his fingers on his knees uncomfortably.

“Intentions?” Bilbo repeated. Thorin couldn’t possibly mean… that, right?

“Well, perhaps hobbit customs are different,” Thorin said, flushing red and looking highly embarrassed. “Dwarven courtship can be complicated even for us.”

Bilbo felt heat creeping into his own face and busied himself over the fire so that he wasn’t looking at Thorin. If he did, he might blurt out everything in his mind.

“Those ponies are going to shine when the sun rises!” Kili exclaimed, clomping back into camp. Fili spat a vicious word of the Dwarf language, none of which Bilbo had managed to pick up. His companions had been fiercely protective of their native tongue.

Thorin barked a reprimand in the same language and the brothers beat a hasty retreat.

“I’m sorry about them. They have yet to master proper manners,” Thorin said, as if Bilbo hadn’t noticed.

“Nothing to apologize for,” Bilbo mumbled back. “Here.” He handed Thorin his share of dinner and decided to take Kili and Fili theirs when he had eaten.

“And don’t worry about those rumors,” he said. “People had plenty about me when I came back to the Shire. They’ll forget or move on to something else soon enough.”

Thorin nodded and they finished eating in companionable silence.

When Bilbo brought Kili and Fili theirs, the brothers were deep in a whispered argument. Bilbo cleared his throat loudly.

“Oh, Bilbo, I’m sorry!” Kili said, springing up. “He was so close!”

“We’ll be more careful next time,” Fili added, taking the plates from him.

“You spread those rumors, didn’t you?” Bilbo said, realization dawning on him.

“No! Why would you say something so baseless?” Fili demanded.

“Bofur helped and so did Gimli,” Kili added with his mouth full.

Bilbo sighed. “You two really won’t let anything get in your way,” he said under his breath. In fact, they reminded him of the Brandybucks. Those Hobbits were endlessly mischievous, particularly when they expected a good outcome for their friends.

“Thorin’s so much better when you’re around. Everyone can see it. He just needs a push,” Fili said. “It’s not just that he’s happier. He moves with more confidence, he’s more patient.”

“He’d go from a good king to a great one with you at his side,” Kili interjected and beamed.

Bilbo shook his head. “I can’t do that for him. He needs a dwarf woman who can be by his side, not a hobbit who’s only here for a visit.”

Fili and Kili looked at him with identical sad faces, until Kili broke out in smiles again.

“That’s the best part! Thorin doesn’t have to be king every second. He can go back to the Shire with you when you need to go back, and he’ll get a break from all the pressure.”

“It’s aged him,” Fili added in a whisper that was only a little quieter than his speaking voice.

“Give me those plates, you two. I’m not talking about this anymore tonight,” Bilbo said, cutting off the sudden spark of hope that rose in his chest.

He took the plates and went to drown that hope in the creek.


End file.
